This newsletter is the result of common and connected interests, overlapping perspectives, our failure at keeping up a regular blog (find proof here and here), and our love for music. We will send you interesting findings, reads, ideas, and sounds that we can’t keep to ourselves - and sometimes things we work on, if we deem them interesting enough.

Afterwards we played some music for everybody at the official re:publica afterparty. It was our debut behind the decks, so to say - and a lot of fun. People were dancing! To our selection! We were so nervous that we forgot to record the set, but you can hopefully find the songs unmixed online somewhere soon. We will let you know.

I spent quite some time over the past weeks reminiscing over a particularly beautiful track we played: ‘Tanki Tanki’ is a remix of a Lebanese pop song by the great and peculiar Bangaly Family, a 70s & 80s group from Kuwait, that somehow mixed Lebanese traditionals with US surf and pop music. In a marvelous way. They were quite popular back then and did a few shows, which are pure gold. That remix was done by Rabih Beani, btw, who recently did a show connecting his (rather abstract) music with the cinematography of Vincent Moon at Hiroshima Theater, Barcelona. The bad news is, you probably missed it (it was in March). The good news is, the whole thing is online now and it’s pretty bizarre and intense and we can all watch it if we dare!

- Simon

The Calling of Delight

After re:publica I stayed for exactly one day of GIG before I had to head back to Lahore, where I will be busy handing over my responsibilities at Makeistan for the next weeks as I am leaving. While I was flying over the sea I read about the sea of data and about the tyranny of structurelessness, which was brought up during the GIG session. I also listened to this wonderful podcast, which a friend told me about some time ago. I only managed to download one episode before the flight and re-listened to it, but have been binge-listening ever since. What I find in these interviews are perspectives, feeling, thoughts that so often go missing in my daily life. Its just workworkwork and emails and stuff. To be honest, I would like my work to create opportunities for people to find community, to find delight in each other.

I am off to listen to some drum beats at my local shrine now.

- Max

In other news

Brazil is going to the dogs it seems with an unelected new president and a new cabinet of ancient white men. The whole thing makes you want to puke. Some ministries also went out the door right away, including the ones for culture, internet and technology, women and human rights.

Maybe Estonia holds an alternative in parts, with running their immigration policies like a start up of sorts - and doing rather well so, it seems. The idea of decoupling citizenship of current or permanent residence sounds compelling and could bring about not only a new understanding of identity but also gives us the chance to disband public policies quite directly - like, say, plastering public space with hostile architecture, for example.

Thank you so much for joining us! We’re happy to have you with us and always appreciate any feedback and ideas! Also, if you like this, feel free to spread the word! We hope to see you soon in person.